The Unwanted

It is a common sight to see the line of people out the door with animals in tow when one visits an LA County shelter. The dogs either sit quietly as if they understand what is about to happen to them or they would pace back and forth in distress and fear, every once in a while, they'd look up with the hope of catching their person's eyes. It is an extremely difficult and heartbreaking sight for anyone who knows the dog's capacity for unconditional love.

These dogs are the unfortunate victims of a disposable society. No longer wanted by their families, they are about to be disposed of at the shelter. Some are young, rambunctious; some are middle-aged and mellow. The absolute heartbreakers are the senior dogs.


A3764020 is an 11-year old male German Shepherd mix who lost his home on December 18, 2007. Despite his age and bad luck of being turned in at the Carson shelter, this wonderful dog still managed to look dignified in this shelter mug. He knows that his chance of making it out of the Carson shelter alive is slim. His family no longer wanted him because he is an old dog. It would take a very special person to see what a special gem he truly is.


A3765757 is a 13-year old male Shih Tzu who lost his home the day after Christmas.
They turned him in with his sweater. When I saw him three days later, he was curled up fast asleep on the plastic raise in his kennel. He was still wearing his sweater.
Despite all the commotions and barking around him, this sweet dog slept as if determined to shorten the hours he would have to be in fear and sadness because the Carson shelter is not the home he has known for the last 13 years of his life.


A3766777 is a 14-year old male Jindo who became homeless on December 27, 2007. The confusion and fear shown in this photo taken while he was still being held in the rolling crate never left him. He was found laying on the cold concrete on the outside part of the kennel still shaking with fright two days later when we came and met him. Those sad eyes are even sadder in person. He was curled up into a small little ball in the corner of the kennel.


A3767817 is the oldest of the bunch. At 15 years of age, this Labrador boy was dumped the morning we were at the shelter. It was the morning of December 29,2007. He is a gentle, wise, and well-mannered dog. He was put into the rolling crate and forgotten for over four hours.

He sat in the small rolling crate just patiently watching people passing by, waiting for someone to notice him sitting there. Not once did he bark or made any fuss from the cramp space he was in.

He was still sitting there as we were leaving the shelter. Just waiting.

The sight of the people standing in line waiting to turn over their dogs always hit the hardest at my heart. I have decided to stop asking the question "why?" a long time ago. It comes down to being able to dispose of responsibility without any second thought. The over abundance of everything in society have resulted in the ease of disposability - of practically almost any and everything including innocent lives.

These four sweet, sad and homeless senior dogs likely will not walk out of the Carson shelter alive. They are just four of many, many dogs who will meet their unnatural, untimely end at the hands of people they don't know; people who likely have been made apathetic and callous because it is part of the job to extinguish the lives that have become an inconvenience in a busy disposable world.